Syros Apollo Theater furniture

At the beginning of last year the committee for the exploitation of the historic Apollo theater in Ermoupoli Syros (where the International Music Festival of Cyclades takes place every year), announced a competition for the design and creation of the lobby area desk, display and presentation stands as well as cabinets.

The competition aimed to involve the undergraduate students from the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering, located in Syros which is the only Greek University department with industrial design as the main subject.

The conjunctive ring of the University with the municipality was the “DPSD Beyond”, an open to free-knowledge and innovative society. The participants had to respect the existing environment and the history of the theater. This was the only design specification placed by the committee. The winning proposals were made by six university students who delivered their original sketches and the material selection in a CAD file format.

In October 2012, Zaxos Stathopoulos and his ZS Studio (a new website is under construction) undertook the project development and started the creation of 8 display and presentation stands, 2 vitrines and a lobby desk with two working space areas. The furniture were placed in the theater by end of December 2012.

Display and Presentation Stands

Each display is 2 meters in height and is based on a 1X1 meter surface with rollers. It was made by pressed synthetic timber and galvanised metal leaves. It was dyed with polyurethane laquer. The display has two LED lights, independent switches and adjacent connectivity, large surface area to place frames, directives of disassembling and characteristic labelling. Another display was made with a glass for external use.

Leonidas Kapralos is a graduate of the department of Product and Systems Design Engineer. He sees design as a way of understanding human needs and perception and as a means of interfering and highlighting those characteristics. During his studies he specialized in product and service design, with service design being the main topic of his thesis.

Vitrines

The two vitrines are 1,80 meters high and have 60 cm diameter. They are made of steel have a transparent door, secret LED light and storage area. They are dyed with polyurethane laquer.

Ioana Archontaki is an undergraduate student of the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of the Aegean, and she is currently located in Syros. Her interests run along many design aspects, such as graphic and information design, sustainable development and medical design. Since March 2012, she is an active member of the student initiative for open learning "dpsd beyond".

George Laftsis-Skretas is an undergraduate student of the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering that lives in Syros for the last twenty years. His interests concerning design vary from graphic to product design as well as design for sustainability. For the last four years he has been actively involved in the university’s theatre and cinema groups.

Lobby reception desk

The reception desk is 3,6 meters long and maximum height 1,1 meters. It was designed for two receptionists. Due to the geometry of the area, the furniture has a pedestal for extra storage space. The main materials used are oak timber colored with hand made varnish and a laquered working surface. The two lamps, designed for the needs of the receptionists were made of steel and oak timber. The desk is designed in such a way in order to support telephone lines, computers and has two extra small roller desks.

Spyros Bofylatos is a PhD candidate of the products and system design engineering school with a degree in Design. His research interests include design for sustainability and coDesign. His work is based on creating meaningful dialogue between the theoretical framework and physical artifacts, products of the design process.

Marios Georntamilis, is an undergraduate student at the Department of Product & Systems Design Engineering and also works as an illustrator and graphic designer. Through his designs, in all aspects of design that he works on, he is trying to balance out functionality and aesthetics in a harmonic equilibrium. The mathematical approach he uses and the experimentation with several
design styles, give to each project a unique identity. Currently he is into collaborative design processes, open knowledge movement, visual communication its semiological extensions

Dimitra (Sou)rlantzi is an undergraduate student at the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering, located in Syros island. According to her, due to the economic and social crisis, the need for holistic and society-oriented design is greater than ever. These months one of her interests is machining, as well as studying and applying open and parametric design.

About Zaxos Stathopoulos

Zaxos Stathopoulos was born in Athens in 1982.

He began his academic studies in Architecture and continued with Products & Systems Design. He has collaborated with construction companies and creative offices in Greece and abroad, such as AVL in the Netherlands where he worked by the side of Joep Van Lieshout. In 2006, he established his own office/studio in the island of Syros, Z S Studio, aiming to create a platform dedicated to the design and the creation of hand-made furniture and objects. De-touched from the urban frenzy, as a permanent resident of the island for the past 5 years, he continues to engage in designing and creating limited production objects.

Exhibitions:

Berlin Design Walk- NIGHT SHIFT, Betahaus Berlin, June 2012, (http://betahaus.de/? lang=en)

Kokkino Home, Rafina Athens, May 2012, (https://www.facebook.com/events/ 280351595387562/)

Once Upon A Sponge, TAF Monastiraki Athens, May 2012, (https://www.facebook.com/ events/143039259154589/)

Design Lab Athens, Technopolis Gazi Athens, May 2012, (http://design-lab.gr/el/design- lab)

Be-SIDE Zaxos Stathopoulos, ChiliArt Gallery, Thiseion Athens, April 2012 (http:// www.chiliart.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=47)

SMLXL Hellenic Design, Vamiali’s Gallery, Metaxourgeio Athens, December 2011 (http:// www.vamiali.net/shows.htm)

DING T- Shirt Exhibition, DING, Halandri Athens, June 2011 (http://www.ding.gr/ t_shirt_exhibition.php)

2011 % Greek Design, M-ART Gallery, Kolonaki Athens, April 2011 (http://www.m-art.gr/ space/exhibdetail.php?status=previous&productid=135)

Art & Design Connection, Decorama-Arte Design Showroom, Thessaloniki, November 2010 (http://www.design-district.gr/el/must-attend/%CE%88%CE%BA%CE%B8%CE %B5%CF%83%CE%B7-art-design-connection-id146)

Plastic Chair Project 1, DING, Halandri Athens, June 2010 (http://www.ding.gr/ plastic_chair_project_1.php)

Green Design Festival 2, Syntagma Athens, September 2010 (http:// www.greendesignfestival.gr/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=26&Itemid=50&lang=el

Ζάχος Σταθόπουλος, DING, Halandri Athens, October 2009 (http://www.ding.gr/ zachos_stathopoulos.php)

15 Young Artists, Cyclades ArtGallery, Syros, Greece, June 2008

Reject Video Festival, Rotterdam, February 2007

Events:

Music & Junk, Ermoupoleia Festival 2011, Syros, August 2011 (https://www.facebook.com/ events/171349952933210/) (http://www.syrostoday.gr/events/948-Mousikn-kai-saboura.aspx)

Love Will Set You Free, Amerikaniko Bar, Syros, July 2011 (https://www.facebook.com/ events/219867031391747/)

Masa Loco - Pinos Grapas, Ermoupoli, Syros, September 2011 Masa Loco - El Mageiratsi, Ermoupoli, Syros, May 2011

Masa Loco - Los Del Patsa, Ermoupoli, Syros, April 2011 (http://masa-loco.blogspot.com/)

ZSS Exclusive Sale, DING, Halandri Athens, May 2011 (https://www.facebook.com/events/ 169025669824058/)

Lectures:

University of the Aegean, department of product and systems design engineering, November 4th 2012, Syros, Greece (http://www.dpsdbeyond.gr/?p=709)

Workshops:

Creating furniture with beer crates, March 2009, part of REACT festival, Syros, Greece Open Fire Ceramics, June 2008, ZS Studio, Syros

Glass Reinforced Polyester, June 2007, ZS Studio, Syros

Publications:

Rob Thompson, Sustainable Materials, Processes and Production (The Manufacturing Guides), Thames & Hudson, London

Press:

STATUS magazine Greece, issue 285, December 2011, page 143

CLOSE UP magazine Greece, issue 168, April 2011, page 38

THESSALIKES EPILOGES magazine Greece, issue 299, October 2011, page 118 VIMA MEN magazine Greece, issue 47, February 2010, page 24

ATHINORAMA magazine Greece, issue 495, November 2009, page 118 ESQUIRE magazine Greece, issue 84, August - September 2009, page 32

KOINI GNOMI newpaper, issue 2651, 5th of June 2009, page 4

BLUE magazine of AEGEAN AIRLINES, issue 30, Spring 2009, pages 106-108

ELLE DECORATION magazine Greece, issue 71, April 2009, page 68